Rinne: Rebirth and Resurrection
by Hououza
Summary: This was my first real fan fiction project. Originally weighing in at 23 chapters it was my first major forway into the world of fan fiction as opposed to my earlier scribbled original works. Now, four years on I present to you the revised first chapter a
1. Prologue

**Rinne – Rebirth and Resurrection:1 – Prologue**

_Disclaimer: I do not own Phantasy Star Online, it the property of Sega and Sonic Team. All non-Sonic Team characters however are either mine or used with their creators permission._

_'Whilst life is fleeting Death is eternal…'_

Our story begins more than a decade ago; our home world was dying, the very life being leeched from the earth beneath us. It was then the government of our world conceived of the Pioneer project, a plan that would see the whole of our civilisation to safety. The first stage was a series of probes sent out into deep space looking for a suitable planet for us to colonise, the planet that met the criteria was named Ragol. It was uninhabited with a climate and ecology similar to that of our own planet before the troubles had begun. At once a ship was dispatched to begin colonisation of Ragol and prepare the way for the other ships that would follow. The crew on board was made up of three groupings: Government personnel, civilians, and last of all; hunters.

The government personnel were a mixture of bureaucrats, scientists and soldiers. The bureaucrats would set up the infrastructure, establishing an impromptu government upon the planet while the scientists explored and studied the indigenous life forms of the planet and deal with them as the situation required. For the most part this would most likely involve initiating more detailed studies but in the cases of the more hostile inhabitants they would have to be purged, this would most likely be a job given to the hunters as opposed to the soldiery. The soldier meanwhile would be charged with enforcing the law, acting as a temporary police force until suitable civilian authorities could be formed following the second and third phase.

The civilian population on that first ship were almost mostly scientists although they were primarily freelance researchers as opposed to government lackeys. Most among them were architects and engineers, people who would be charged with the reconstruction of our civilisation on our new home world. It was intended that with the landing of each craft, it would be decommissioned, the raw materials used in the construction of our new homes. Thus, each Pioneer city ship would become a city 'dome', giving accommodation to those who had travelled aboard. Apparently the process of conversion would take no more than a matter of months, each new city should be ready by the time the next of the ships arrived.

The hunters were the last group; unlike the others the hunters served no clear role. As mercenary fighters it would be their job to provide a defence against any hostile creatures encountered, whilst this role could have been carried out by the military the hunters were chosen due to their greater levels of consummate skill and often better equipment than the standard military fair. This was not an entirely popular option, many of the citizenry distrusted hunters as unlike the military they were mostly unregulated and answered to no real higher authority bar the Hunter's Guild. In an attempt to alleviate this pressure the guild dispatched a contingent aboard Pioneer 1 with the intention of controlling the hunters onboard. As Pioneer 1 began its journey preparations were made for the second ship, Pioneer 2.

The passengers of this ship were mostly civilians unlike Pioneer 1, this would be the first real group of settlers for our new home. This time the contingent of hunters among the ships population was far higher, almost half of the civilian population were hunters and because of this there was a more than considerable presence made by the guild. During the time in space there would be little work to be done thus other entertainments had to be made available to ensure there would not be riots during the seven year voyage. Major civil unrest was avoided and for the most part the guild was able to keep illegal activities to a minimum. There were still illegal fights in some sections and one extremely odd fight that broke out, but for the most part everything was all right.

When Pioneer 2 finally arrived in orbit around Ragol a communication link was immediately established with the planet's surface. Moment's later a massive explosion erupted, focused on the Central Dome, from what the reports indicated afterwards, killing everyone inside. It wasn't long before the guild was contacted and all active hunters soon after. The principal issued us with a single goal, to find out what the hell had happened. Landing sites were established, teleport pods sent down to allow for travel between the ship and surface. The city teleporters were activated, but only for those with a valid guild card. Soon hundreds of hunters had started travelling down to the surface, looking for evidence of the fate that befell the people of Pioneer 1, not all of them seeking a reward for once.

The civilian populous were kept in the dark about it, no one was told exactly what had happened, for now it seemed the government on board wanted to try and stem the flow of information and avoid mass panic. The principal's office had spread some stories to stave of the more curious and carefully quashed any rumours. All hunters were sworn to secrecy and were only to report findings to the principal or one of his staff directly. Within three months we had started to get an idea of what had happened, one of the hunters aboard Pioneer 1 had left a series of message capsules detailing her findings. This hunter, the principal's estranged daughter, Red Ring Rico, had been leading the excavation team that had dug further into the planet's surface. It was she who had discovered the ancient spaceship that must have crashed there aeons ago; she was the one who got possessed by the living darkness, the Dark Force that dwelled inside.

This entity had been the one responsible for the loss of all those lives and in the end it cost many more before the hideous creature was finally put to rest. Red Ring Rico was rescued, the only living survivor of the first vessel she returned to Pioneer 2 with a grave warning for everyone else. Soon, the truth of what had happened became public and there were multiple riots. The hunters were blamed for covering up what had happened, a misconception to which the government had no desire to make a correction. Fights broke out in the streets and in the end it was Ricco who ended the conflict, forcing both sides to negotiate. After a week of talks it was decided that the civilian population would transfer down to the surface, taking what material they needed to rebuild while the hunters remained where they were.

Time passed and the city on the surface began to flourish yet still it required hunter's services and so from time to time groups were deployed according to the treaty that had been established, while they were not allowed to enter the city itself there were provisions made upon its ground to accommodate for the hunters needs. Many hunters still resented this treatment, after all had it not been for the sacrifices of many of their comrades the reconstruction would not have been possible and everyone would have eventually had their souls consumed by the Dark Force. Unrest was brewing among the hunter populous, resentment growing like a storm, ready to fall upon the unsuspecting people below. Still, some of us did not agree with this sentiment and worked to prevent such a thing from coming to pass.

I awoke slowly; as my systems began to come online I looked around the barren apartment. An android has few needs, neither light nor heat, not even food nor sleep. I do not eat; power is supplied to me by the small reactor unit located in my chest, in the place where a human or Newman's heart would have been. At one time I had wondered what drove our creators to implement such a design, on looking through the seemingly endless archives that chronicled our history back to the beginning of recorded time, I found that their goal had been to emulate life and so they had made us in their own image. Everything about us emulated the form of humans, right down to the indefinable factor that separated us from the simpler, servitor machines.

Yet, despite the wishes of our creators there were others who sought to use us for other purposes. More often than not as warriors, soulless fighters who would kill without question, requiring no rest, no time off, we would simply battle endlessly until we were ordered to stop or destroyed. I was built as a war machine, initially programmed only for battle, during the final days before the great upheaval when those applications of androids were outlawed. The military constructed me as a front line combat model, equipping me with heavy armour and programs for all standard hunter type equipment. Only once I saw battle, a simulation exercise designed to test my abilities. The test was a success and more of my kind would have gone into production but the change came and I was gifted sentience.

In those first days I wandered the city, without orders, without purpose I did not understand what to do with my existence. I lived only for battle and that was denied, frustrated I had entered into the darker parts of the cities, seeking out the illegal combat that took place there. For days I simply stood among the crowd, watching as various beings, human, Newman and android alike battled each other for money or simply entertainment. Each was surrounded by great crowds of onlookers, many of them betting copies amounts of messeta, our currency, on the outcome. More often than not the fights ended in the death of one or other combatant as few of the people who fought here could or would accept losing.

Eventually the thirst for battle overcame me and I signed myself up for one of these tournaments. Having no money to speak of I was forced to enter the most brutal of tournaments, matches always fought to the death. No weapons were provided, fighters were expected to bring whatever they had, and if they had nothing then that was too bad. My match was scheduled to begin after the current one; a human male and a Newman female fought it out. The Newman female was faster and her daggers had left a number of wounds upon her opponent. He was bleeding heavily and his actions slowing, sensing victory she moved in for the kill only to be caught of guard when he sped up suddenly and buried his saber up into her chest, cleaving her heart.

She was dead before she hit the ground, her lifeless body dragged from the ring, leaving not even a trail of blood as the energy blade had cauterised the flesh when it struck. A bulky looking human called me forward and I stepped into the ring, regarding the human who would be my opponent. From what remained of his uniform he seemed to have been a hunter once, the tell tale section id marker glowing faintly in his chest. In his hand he held a basic saber, a primitive weapon but as I had witnessed, deadly in his hands. He smirked at me, raising his arms to incite the crowd; having won his past seven matches he was the current favourite. His eyes regarded me for a moment before he laughed loudly and spoke in a deep and gravely voice.

"So android, do you have a name? I usually like to know the name of my opponent before I kill them."

"I have no name only a designation."

"Ha! You androids! I don't know how anyone can consider you equal with humans! Even the Newman filth are better than you, at least they have names for themselves. So Mr. Android, why don't you tell me your designation."

"Death."

That single word hung in the air for a moment as the man hesitated. His eyes widened then narrowed, obviously he liked to intimidate his opponent. My glowing red eyes simply started back at him, holding no emotion. No fear, no sadness, no rage or joy…I felt nothing. My name was roughly scrawled unto the board that served as a record of the matches; obviously they thought it would not be there for long. A moment passed and the watcher signalled for us to start before stepping out of the place of combat. The man lunged at me almost at once, obviously intent on settling this fight quickly. This would be both his first and last mistake, my design had been for combat meaning my reflexes were far beyond those of any human, or Newman. He moved as if in slow motion, the last thing he saw was my eyes flashing.

His body dropped to the ground, his mouth hanging open and eyes wide. Even as he had charged I had deflected his weapon, breaking his arm in the process as my free hand closed around his throat before crushing his windpipe and spine. For a moment he hung there, neck broken, blood slowly being starved of oxygen as his mind struggled to understand what had happened before the silence claimed him. I dropped what remained of my opponent's lifeless form to the ground, waiting in the momentary silence as the crowd struggled to process this new development. Soon a new chant began, echoing all around me as more and more of them raised their voices in praise.

"Death! Death! Death!"

Time passed and others came and each time I killed them. Humans, Newmans and other androids fell, their empty shells carried off for disposal. My reputation spread and by the time the day was over I had racked up more than a dozen victories. Now, as I was turning to walk away a human male approached me, flanked by two bulky looking androids. I had seen him before, watching other matches, from what I had heard others saying he was a promoter, one of the individuals who managed fighters in the bigger tournaments, trawling the death matches for new talents. In truth I had not noticed his presence previously while I was fighting yet in truth I had no interest in anything other than the combat.

"You fight well, Dagekiou was the champion here for nearly half a decade."

He held out a sweaty hand.

"I am Kasu, I manage some fighters here. I would like you to come and work for me."

I regarded his hand for a moment before shaking my head as was the human custom and turning to walk away.

"No"

He moved up along side me, matching my pace. Obviously he was not quite ready to give up yet.

"I can make it worth your while."

"No."

Once more I started to move away but this time he reached out and grabbed hold of my arm; despite the fat there was a great deal of muscle on that arm. Kasu was also not what he first seemed to be. I turned to look at him, noting something flashing deep within his dark grey eyes.

"However if you choose not to accept my offer I can always ensure that you never fight again…here or anywhere else."

He left the threat hanging there, gauging my reaction. For the briefest of moments I wondered if he was aware I could kill him, tearing his arm from its socket and beating him to death with its bloody remains.

"I could kill you right now."

He grinned at me, golden teeth glinting in the light.

"But then you would be dead before my body hit the ground, and that would be such a waste of good material."

For a moment I regarded the other two androids, well aware they were older models that if I choose to I could reduce them to scrap metal. His threat was empty yet for one reason or another I accepted his offer…

By the next morning Kasu had another fight scheduled, this time in one of the better-established underground tournaments. However, before he would allow me onto the field of battle I was brought to his place of business, a shady looking bar in the Whitill section, called the White Lotus. I was led to what was referred to as his 'office', a large room filled with expensive furniture contrasting with the assortment of weapons that lined the walls.

"My trophies, once upon a time I was a fighter myself, these are just things I collected from those that I killed."

There was quite an expansive collection and while the majority of weapons were those used by hunters there were a few guns and staffs from rangers and forces. As I catalogued each of the weapons Kasu stepped over to his desk, pulling out various data crystals and mumbling to himself.

"Death…Death…Death…ah ha! I have it!"

Suddenly a holographic display lit up, the image hovering only a few feet above his desk. There was a tall dark figure, dressed in robes of black, holding a great scythe like weapon in its right hand as eyes like twin balefires shone out from the darkness within it's hood. Walking over to stand beside me, a hand now upon my shoulder as the other waved at the figure on screen.

"Shinigami, the god of death. Long ago it was believed that Shinigami ushered the souls of defeated warriors into the next world. To look upon him was to know your death."

Kasu began to circle me, one of his thick hands stroking the fresh growth of dark hair that extruded from his chin. Stopping once he completed a full circuit, moving to stand in front of me.

"Yes, I think that will do nicely."

He once again waved in the direction of the hologram.

"So, what do you think of your new costume?"

He clapped his hands twice and servants came rushing in. Now was the time in which Shinigami would be born…my first opponent was a Fonewm, a champion of one of the other circuits he had come to face the warrior who had taken apart Dagekiou with such ease. As I observed him from the sidelines I noticed how cocky he was, more than sure enough of his abilities. I had heard he had burned two of his opponents alive, another frozen in their tracks before being summarily shattered. Many other fighters in the higher tournaments refused to fight him, claiming that he was a sadistic bastard. To me, such things meant nothing. I feel no pain, only register damage. The concept of dying holds no fear as that is something I cannot experience, just like any other emotion.

He walked into the ring as if he owned everything around him, his long purple hair sweeping about his body as he gestured to the females in the audience, many of whom swooned at his glance. He was shallow and vain yet none the less a deadly foe, a powerful force he could best even the most experienced hunter with his mind…yet in a way that would be his downfall. As I made my entrance silence swept over the crowd…Kasu's vision had become a reality. The great black cloak concealed my features and I remained silent as instructed. Only when at last was I in position did I unleash my weapon, the energy scythe unfolding as I raised my free hand, extending a single finger.

It seemed that the desired effect was achieved as the once cocky force recoiled slightly, obviously unsettled by my appearance. Rather more hesitantly he took up his position, waiting for the watcher to announce the match up.

"To my right, from the Jizen league is Terau, champion for the past two years!"

The crowd roared in exhilaration, lending courage to the disheartened Newman.

"To my left, a new comer, Death, the Shinigami incarnate!"

Now a second roar went out as many of the audience called out in exhilaration, it seemed that word of my victories had already spread. Now at last I allowed the robe to part and fall away, dropping back into the hold space that my scythe came out of. As my opponent realised I was an android his confidant smirk returned, obviously he like my first opponent thought little of the skills of the machine kind. The watched stepped back to the edge, calling for silence before letting out a great roar, reinforced by the voices of the crowd.

"FIGHT!"

At once Terau launched a rafoie straight at me, one I made no attempt to dodge. I felt nothing as the flames swirled about me, their heat far from sufficient to damage my armour. Even as I stepped from the flames untouched Terau's expression faltered as he hurried to summon a second technique. He never had the chance as I swept my scythe upwards, splitting him up the middle. For a moment he started at me in incomprehension, right before his entire body flopped into two perfect halves. Once again I felt the customary silence, broken only by one or two of those with weaker stomachs retching violently and the spilled innards until at last the cheers began and drowned them out. It seemed that I alone had heard his final words, the final sound that had escaped his lips before his body came apart.

"How…?"

That victory was the first of many, more than I can even count. Opponents came and went, all of them dying beneath my blade. Soon I had earned a terrifying reputation, it was said that no-one to whom I pointed would walk away alive and soon only the most die hard or suicidal fighters would agree to a match up. The bets were staggering now, millions of messeta were put up for wager as other promoters brought their champions to try and topple me from my mantle. Each time they failed, their champions reduced to lifeless corpses. Kasu was making more money than he could count and almost constantly offered me upgrades or new weapons, all of which I refused. I had what I wanted and needed nothing more.

It seemed that I would remain there forever, killing for the entertainment of others, but as luck would have it one day I found myself faced off against an opponent I could not kill and in that moment everything changed…this time my opponent was a female Newman child, no more than perhaps twelve years old. The girl was barely able to hold her weapons, let alone put up any kind of resistance. I looked questioningly at Kasu and he nodded, confirming that this child was to be my opponent. Turning my attention back to her I looked deep into her eyes, finding no fear there only, only absolute determination and resolve. She knew she would die here, so what was the point of the fight?

"No."

I withdrew my blade; the blood of many stained my hands yet I would not add this child to them. Kasu screamed and raged at me, demanding I fight her but I ignored him. I began to walk away, ignoring the crowd, as they grew angry, not acting until at last they got out of control and rushed me, angered by my denial of their sport. Once more my blade came out and death was served, in a frenzy I cut them down like fields of wheat, each stroke of the blade ending another life…finally all lay dead bar one, Kasu stood amidst the field of butchered bodies holding the child. A twisted smile spread across his face as his grip upon the girl tightened.

"So it seems our time together has come to an end…."

There was a mocking edge to his voice as his other hand shifted slightly so that now it was at the girl's back.

"…And all for nought."

A blade emerged from the child's chest as he stabbed her, the sight bringing back memories of that fight long ago, of the Newman woman I watched being killed. A flash of recognition flared in my mind as I read the girl's features, my memory comparing them to those of the woman from before. In that instant the realisation struck me, that this girl must have been her daughter. Driven by an impulse I could not understand I withdrew the cloak once more, using it to wrap her body as I lifted her into my arms and made a dead run for the closest medical centre. Despite my analytical functions telling me she was on the edge of death, that she could not be saved I went ever onwards, driven by a desire which I could not describe in words.

I pushed her into the arms of the first nurse I encountered, the shocked woman rushing the girl into the treatment room, crying out for someone to help her. I still do not know why I stayed, standing silently like a guardian at a grave. Time passed and the nurse returned, her white and pink uniform now stained crimson with the child's blood. When she looked at me it was with moisture gathered at the corners of her eyes, the gesture humans and Newmans call crying.

"I'm sorry…we did what we could but…there was too much damage…"

She broke down, her shoulder shaking as her tears rolled down the smooth surface of my armour. Even as I stood there, listening to her I once more found a strange sensation passing thorough my mind and for a moment my sensors seemed to register a single drop of moisture moving across the surface of my faceplate.

For three days and nights I watched and waited, standing in the shadows across from the Blue Lotus, planning my final act of vengeance against Kasu, payment for taking the child's life. I managed to infiltrate the bar without incident, the bloodied remnants of my cloak concealing my face and form from sight. At last reached his private office, disabling his two android bodyguards took only a moment as I ripped out their central processing units and crushed them in my hands. When I entered the office I found it empty, following the faint sound of laughter I approached his private space, the rooms where he bathed and slept. I found him sitting in a spa with two females. As I entered they screamed and Kasu reached for a pistol…the barrel fell into the water as I carved through it with my scythe.

A single glance and the two females left screaming, no doubt they would summon guards but by then it would all be over…Kasu took that instant to lunge at me, that same dagger he had used to murder the child grasped in his hand. The scythe blade tore through him, severing him up the middle as had done to that force long ago, a second slash cleaving off his head, separating in mid air so that his brains were splayed across the walls of the bathroom. The guards came then, the first gagging at the sight and stench; he died an instant later as I took off his head. Others followed and all met the same fate, soon I advanced into the main bar, killing all those who dwelled there. When at last it was over they all lay dead, bodies laid open to the skies.

As I made my way through the carnage I stopped only once, pausing to tear the reactor from a downed android. As I reached the entrance I pulled off my cloak and used it to tie the reactor to the scythe whose bottom I had driven into the ground. I set the reactor to overload, the resulting explosion should be enough to level the place, and walked outside. No sooner than I had moved ten paces did the whole building erupt into a pillar of flame, countless other explosions signalling other reactors and weapon stockpiles detonating. For an instant, among the flaming wreckage I saw a figure floating, a dark cloak billowing out as the scythe stood at its side as if held by a non existent hand. To the other side an apparition of the child stood, look back at me with innocent eyes, silently giving her thanks.

The apparitions faded ad I was alone once more as the fires died down. Nothing left for me there I departed the Whitill section, travelling instead to Redria, the place where I had been created. Stepping across the threshold of the Hunter's Guild I began my redemption, my atonement for all that I had done. An hour later I stepped through those doors once more, the Redria symbol glowing brightly on my chest even as my knew mag chattered and bleeped, excited to finally have a master. Looking down at the small card and the details printed there I swore to remember and never allow myself to fall so far again. I travelled across the section, to the main storage, ready to open my locker, the woman at the counter greeting me politely as I approached her.

"Good morning, name and designation please."

"Death. Hunter - HUcast."

And with those three words my new life began.

Stepping out from the diagnostic engine where I 'slept' I exited my apartment, journeying out into the city. So many things had changed since the battle had ended; yet for me the fight would never end. Finding myself once again finding myself standing before those same doors I wondered what new challenges this would bring, what new foes I would face and comrades I would meet along the way. Had I been human I might have smiled yet as it was my metal face remained blank as I stepped inside, ready to see what the future holds for me now.

_AN: After four years I finally sat back down and revised this story, as it hold a special place in my heart. It was my first major fan fiction project and remains a personal favourite. I know, it's not a new chapter of the others but this remains my pride and joy and I though it was time to dust it off and give a lick of paint before unleashing it on an unsuspecting audience._

_Thanks, _

Hououza

_Chapter preread by That Other Guy_


	2. The Path I Chose

**Rinne – Rebirth and Resurrection:2 – The Path I Chose**

_Disclaimer: I do not own Phantasy Star Online, it the property of Sega and Sonic Team. All non-Sonic Team characters however are either mine or used with their creators permission._

It had been a week and I had already completed half a dozen missions without incident, already I had started to earn a reputation for myself, though this one, unlike before, was untainted with innocent blood. During that time I had encountered another of my kind, a HUcast named Kireek. He was of the same design as I, a front line battle configuration, yet that was where the similarities ended. While I found satisfaction in the thrill of combat but little joy in killing he seemed to revel in it. It seems strange to assign such a human behaviour as 'joy' to one of my kind but I never been any other word that suitably described the relish with which he dispatched the creatures we fought.

Perhaps the best example of this would be when we encountered one of the native creatures known as a Rappy. This portly yellow flightless bird attacks hunters who encroach upon its territory by pecking at them with its beak. Of little danger to a well-equipped hunter they can sometimes trouble an unprepared ranger or Force. Still, to our kind they offer no danger, thus I find no compunction to attack them further once they are defeated and flee. Normally a Rappy, on receiving harm will feign death for a moment, waiting until the danger is far enough away before dashing into the undergrowth. According to my knowledge at that time, no hunter had successfully terminated one of the beasts as they always seemed to escape and no hunter felt the need to track them…Kireek thought differently.

I have seen many things during my existence, many things have died both from my own and others hands yet none of them seemed so gruesome as watching Kireek burry his scythe into the belly of a Rappy and split the yellow bird in half. Perhaps, had I been human, I would have suffered from that condition they refer to as 'being sick'. I do not understand the mechanics of it but it is supposed to happen when they are either malfunctioning or on some occasions when they are upset by something. I saw it many times when I was Shinigami, most often during the more brutal fights, including a number of my own. Still, there was something disturbing about this seemingly simple act of violence and in the time that followed I found myself encountering for the second time in my existence a feeling of dislike.

When the mission was over we received our pay, Kireek pausing only to comment briefly that he was intrigued by my skills and would like to have the chance to fight me some time. For a moment I considered it, the thought of disassembling him strangely pleasing, before forcing it from my consciousness, aware that such things were illegal and that part of my existence was behind me now. It was no more than a day later that I was once again called to work with another hunter, this time a human male. When first we met he regarded me for a moment, before raising his shoulders slightly and exhaling air from his lungs. These gestures, a shrug and a sigh were signs of indifference or disappointment, obviously he did not approve of our pairing. To me it meant nothing, I thought only of the task at hand.

Thus, it was strange when the two of us found a strange synergy in battle, each of us somehow being able to read the others moves so that our strikes slipped passed the other's without causing harm or getting in the way. As we travelled we spotted another pair wondering about the forest, another human hunter with strange white hair, currently trying to lift a large Rappy of a male Newman Force garbed in green. The Rappy was chirruping angrily at the human, but remained in place, the Newman beneath struggling in a futile manner. Beside me my human companion made strange sound in the back of his throat before we moved on, then his face seemed to harden as we once more again continued with our mission.

We reached the target in the area of the forest surrounding what remained of the central dome, the local ape like creatures known as Hildebears had attacked a group of researchers and we had contracted to dispose of them. All in all there were eight of the beasts, each one standing at least one and a half times my height. They were in possession of considerable strength, sufficient even to crush the armour of an android, in addition to being able to spit fireballs in a similar fashion to the technique humans and Newmans used foie. They were formidable opponents in their own right and facing eight of the beasts would be a challenge…this was not the case however as we dispatched the beasts with ease, once again our movements and attacks seeming strangely synchronised.

We returned to Pioneer 2 to collect our reward, the grateful researcher paying us both handsomely for the work. We departed the guild, heading out into the city. At this point I intended to part ways with the human but was interrupted when a Newman girl ran up to him and flung her arms about him.

"Shin-chan!"

"I told you not to call me that Sakura!"

His cheeks darkened slightly and his eyes seemed to flicker with irritation yet he made no move to remove the female from his person. Slightly confused by this behaviour I simply stood and watched, remaining silent. After a moment the Newman girl seemed to notice this and turned to regard me for a moment before turning back to the human.

"Who's you're new friend Shin-chan?"

"Sakura! Stop calling me that! And 'he' is not my friend, he's just an android I was assigned to work with on my latest job."

The girl made a gesture I did not understand before releasing him and walking over to stand in front of me. She was no more than five and a half feet tall; she stood more than a head and shoulders below my full height. To my surprise she extended an arm in the traditional hunter's greeting.

"Nice to meet you Mr. Android. My name is Sakura. Thank you for taking good care of my Shin-chan for me."

Confused by her behaviour, this girl being the first person not to shy away from my presence in a long time, I returned the greeting, gently clasping my hand around her forearm as she did the same. Greetings completed I withdrew my hand and waited, not knowing what else to do, my interactions to this point had been strictly limited to customers or combat. At last the girl seemed to grow tired of the silence for she spoke up once again.

"You know, when someone tells you their name, it's polite to return the gesture."

I paused for a second before replying.

"Death."

She looked at me in what I believed to be confusion.

"Excuse me? Did you say 'Death'?"

"Yes. It is my designation. Dynamically. Evolving. Advanced. Tactical. Humanoid. Referred to as Death for short."

She paused for a moment once again before her lips moved upward in a smile.

"Well Death, as you already know I'm Sakura and this is my fiancé, Shin Akuma."

She indicated the now seemingly frustrated human male standing behind her.

"Now, since we've got through the introductions would you please join us for a brief meal?"

"I do not eat."

She simply waved off this statement.

"I know, but I wanted to hear what happened while you were fighting and Shin-chan has this terrible tendency of exaggerating."

"I do not!"

"Yes you do. So, would you please join us?"

Unsure of what else to do I nodded in agreement, never realising that these two would in time become my first ever 'friends'.

With Sakura leading the way I followed the two back to their apartment, although I could not eat I was still offered a place at the table to sit with them as they ate. Sakura reiterated her request from before, asking me to recount all that had happened while Shin Akuma and I had been on the surface. To this he made some small protest, stating that his account would be just fine. She turned to look at him, something different about her eyes; this 'look' immediately caused him to fall silent. Turning her attention back to me she urged me to begin and I began to recount all that had happened from the moment we had set foot on the surface to the moment we had return to the city.

I had been quite surprised at her reaction to one particular part of my account, the part where we had witnessed the Newman Force trapped beneath the Rappy while his human companion stood there, looking on in what Sakura explained was disbelief, as the Force struggled to remove the creature from on top of him. Sakura had begun making a strange sound and before long proceeded to fall from her chair, her arms wrapped closely around her body. Initially I believed that this was some kind of illness as I had seen others acting in a similar fashion after receiving injuries to their lower torso. Uncertain of what action to take I turned to Shin for guidance only to find him sitting there calmly as if nothing was wrong.

Feeling confused I queried his behaviour I questioned his actions, only to watch as Sakura stood from her position on the floor, seemingly uninjured and explained what I witnessed was something called 'laughter'. Apparently this was an emotion experienced by both humans and Newmans, normally occurring when they found something to be 'funny'. They could not give an exact definition of what this 'funny' phenomenon was; only that one would recognise it on sight. Apparently the incident with the Force had been 'funny' although I could not understand why that was the case. Slowly conversation shifted to other matters as Sakura recounted for me how the two of them had met.

The story took a quite considerable length of time to recount as often Shin insisted on interjecting, protesting that Sakura had remembered some point incorrectly which led to the two arguing for a moment before she resumed the story. Much of it I did not understand, the emotions they described were as alien to me as the concept of laughter, yet I did my best to follow the tale, nodding my understanding when it seemed appropriate. As moments stretched out it began to grow late and I grew conscious of the fact that it was some distance back to the Redria sector where my place of residence was located. Only a few moments later when Shin asked me if I would like some company on the way back.

"It is a long trip, and I live in troubled area. It would not be wise for a human such as yourself to be walking around alone at night."

I noticed a change in Sakura's expression as she turned to Shin, a time later I would learn it to be known as concern.

"Shin-chan…"

Shin nodded in reply to a seemingly unspoken question.

"Death, please stay with us tonight. Neither of us feels comfortable with you going back to somewhere like that."

"I do not understand. I am in no danger. I am a combat android, few people would be inclined to attack me as I am more than capable of defending myself."

He shook his head.

"That's not what I meant…it's a human, and Newman thing, ok? Please, just stay here for the night."

I considered this for a moment but relented, there seemed to be no reason for continuing to argue about it.

"Very well."

As I did not need a bed and conducted my 'sleep' standing up, they offered me a place by the wall near a power socket. That would allow me to recharge my secondary power systems while I 'slept'. Thinking back to the behaviour of others I had witness I thanked them, believing that to be the correct action in such circumstances. This was greeted by a shift of their expressions, their mouths moving into small smiles, signalling to me that I had made the correct assessment. They bid me goodnight and retired, leaving me alone in the darkness with my thoughts. Time passed and I slipped into standby mode, allowing my internal diagnostic systems to begin the process of evaluation and repair.

I woke to find myself no longer in the apartment, but rather on the planet's surface once more, but this time instead of the native creatures I faced more familiar opponents, each of them among those I had killed in my other life, Kasu standing at the head of them, his severed head seemingly held together by invisible bonds, yet the blood marks that divided it still clearly visible down his face and head. His mouth opened, revealing the cavernous blackness within, an absence of sound signalling the others around him to attack. They came at me, all at once, an endless tide overwhelming and consuming me, forcing me downwards even as I fought bitterly, using nothing but my bare hands.

Even as they continued to fall upon me, slowly blotting everything out, all light, all sound save for the wails of the damned, I looked up to find the darkness was forming into a familiar shape, a great black cloak holding a glowing scythe in one hand.

_You cannot escape me. No matter how far you run I shall always be beside you. You cannot escape your past. You cannot forget who you are!_

I returned to full alertness, my internal clock telling me that a considerable amount of time had passed. I was unsure of what had happened…the experience had seemed so real. Experiencing the feeling humans describe as confusion I stepped away from the wall and sought guidance as to what had happened. I found Shin and Sakura in the kitchen; they were seated at the table from the previous night, eating another meal. They greeted me as I appeared, Sakura signalling for me to sit down. Still feeling uncertain I complied with her unspoken request, seating myself at the table and watching them eat in silence. As Shin finished the last of his food and pushed the plate away he turned to look at me, a question on his lips.

"Did you sleep well?"

"I…I did not. I experienced something strange…I found myself in a familiar place, assailed by ghosts of my past and haunted by a voice that was not my own…"

After a moment Sakura spoke up, answering calmly as if the experience I spoke of was a commonplace occurrence.

"Oh, you had a dream. Although, it sounds more like a nightmare."

I recognised neither of these words, but having no expression as such I could not convey my confusion. Thankfully it seemed that Shin realised this, and elaborated further.

"Dreams are something that happens to humans and Newmans when we sleep. No one is exactly sure how they come about but they believe it has something to do with the way memory works. Nightmares are a type of unpleasant dream, often involving memories of bad experiences of fears."

"I do not fear."

"Then I don't know…but still I've never heard of an android dreaming."

We talked for a little longer before Shin and I departed for the Guild, Sakura had asked that I go with him as she felt at ease knowing I was with him. I question this and she simply explained that she felt that nothing bad would happen to him while I was around. At the time I did not fully understand, but simply nodded and followed Shin out. It was not until a long time later that I finally came to understand her words, not until the passing of many great and terrible events. As the days progressed we took more and more missions together, eventually we were approached by members of the military and asked to join a large exploratory force being sent to examine the inner area of the Central Dome now that an access route had been found.

What we encountered inside was a creature like no other; one that afterwards I was told had been seen only in legends. Even as we had materialised inside the hollowed out structure the great beast swept down from above, its fiery breath declaring its challenge. The battle was difficult and many hunters fell, burned by the Dragon's flaming breath or crushed beneath its claws…finally a number of us rallied together, making one final stand. The first group, made up of all the remaining rangers shot at the great lizard as it swooped above us, photon bullets tearing through its wing, forcing it to the ground. Even as it dropped the sky the second group, the Forces stepped up. They threw a barrage of ice techniques at the beast's underbelly, the extreme cold weakening the armour there.

Then, finally the third group moved into place, the hunters. Shin and I stood side by side, raising our blades above our heads and driving them into the frozen armour and the soft flesh beyond. The beast screamed, thrashed about in its death throws as it began to collapse. The hunters scattered, desperately trying to escape being crushed beneath the beast's bulk. Shin and I leapt clear just as it impacted the ground with such force that the ground shook. There was one final great wail as the beast expended what little breath remained in its lungs before falling forever silent. There was little celebration, too many had died or been badly injured for mirth. But still, we had prevailed and now the way was clear for the investigation to move forward.

The next few days were uneventful; there were few jobs available, as rumours had spread to the populous of the happenings on the surface. A journalist had, in fact, managed to travel there in the company of a hunter and the account they gave stirred the unrest even further until the government suppressed the broadcasts. It was during this time that Sakura returned to her and Shin's apartment one morning having found a job.

"They discovered a network of caves beneath the dome; they were looking for hunters to join the exploration team so I signed up."

She explained. Shin frowned at this, what I now know to be an expression of disapproval.

"I don't like this Sakura…after that thing under the dome…I won't let you to go."

Her expression changed, shifting to irritation even as her hands moved to rest just above her thighs.

"You won't let me go?"

Shin seemed to realise his mistake then for he quickly tried to backtrack.

"Well…that is I…"

"Oh no! Not this time mister! I'm a big girl and I can take care of myself. Besides, I'm fed up of sitting around taking simple missions here on ship, after that one with the woman and her weapon fetish husband I've had enough. I'm going down there and you can't stop me, now deal with it."

Shin hung his head and sighed in defeat.

"Alright."

Her expression calmed and she smiled at him, much later he would tell me that she had mischief in her eyes.

"Now, you be a good boy and wait here with Death and I'll make your favourite when I get back…"

She pressed her lips against his briefly in what they called a 'kiss' before walking out the door. Shin collapsed onto the couch with a 'sigh' before closing his eyes and 'humming' softly to himself. Not understanding his behaviour I simply stood and watched, waiting to see what would happen. Time passed and Shin stood up, motioning for us to depart. We journeyed to the Guild as normal, only to find people running about, evidently something was wrong. Showing signs of concern he caught the arm of one of the staff.

"What's going on?"

"There was a problem with the team that got sent down to the surface…we're assembling a second team right now to go after them."

Shin's face turned 'deadpan'.

"Where do we sign up?"

I followed Shin as he walked to the counter; we both signed up and within moments were being directed to where a number of other hunters were gathering, among them the pair we had seen previously on the surface, Shin seemed not to notice them; his thoughts were on other things. Before long we were led over to the main teleporter, the coordinates set for the site where the first team had gone in. Orders were called out, telling us to search for survivors, I had no doubt that Shin was only interested in one…Sakura.

The creatures we encountered were unlike those we had fought on the surface, they were considerably stronger and more numerous. The creatures called Evil Sharks swarmed around us, slowly driving us back. It was then someone uncovered a series of supply crates, re-equipping ourselves with better weapons we struck back, slowly but surely dispatching the creatures. We advanced onward, encountering stronger versions of the Evil Sharks along with a large insectoid creature whose venom bound our feet to the floor for a short time. The creature, which we later learned had been named a Grass Assassin, reared up and began to charge after a volley of photon bullets tore into its side. Shin and I attacked it from either side with out weapons, sending it crashing to the ground.

Even as its body caved in on itself a horde of tiny creatures fled out from the corpse, most likely offspring we squashed as many as we could. A few more caverns and we located the remnants of the first team, there were strange plants all around them, it seemed that they were able to spit poison and paralyse any human or Newman who was foolish enough to get too near. Along side the other androids we dispatched the plants, undeterred by the strange shrieking sound they made when we cut them down. Soon the path was cleared and the humans and Newmans followed along, moving to tend to the dead and wounded and carrying them into pipes back to Pioneer 2 above. Shin silently searched, looking on for one face among the many.

His eyes lit for a moment when at last he found her, but darkened as he took note of her condition. Her clothes were dark and heavy with blood; it seeped from a number of open wounds and crept from the corner of her mouth. She was awake, and aware enough to recognise him when he moved over to her.

"Sakura!"

She looked up at him, forcing a smile…he tried to use a healing technique, Resta, but it had little effect. Over and over again he tried but each time the technique failed, the wounds were too great. I gripped his shoulder softly, reminding him of what had to be done, he looked up at me, eyes clearing for a moment before the familiar light pillars of a telepipe formed around him and with a flash they vanished into the light, transported to Pioneer 2 above. I did not follow at first; I simply stood looking among the bodies, searching for others that still might be alive. Among them I spotted a human girl, she looked similar in age to the girl who I had carried what seemed like an eternity ago.

A strange feeling formed inside me and I found myself determined that this one would not die. I lifted her into my arms and stepped forwards into the pipe before vanishing into the light. When I emerged upon the ship once more there were already medics waiting, one of them moved over to me, inspecting the girl held securely in my arms before motioning for me to place her on a waiting stretcher. I gently lowered her down onto the bed, and for a moment her eyes opened and looked up at me, for a moment I looked back at her with emotionless red eyes, for the first time in my existence being offered a silent gesture of thanks. Even as she was led away the medic assured me that she would be fine, perhaps the life I had saved today would wash away some of the blood on my hands.

My task completed I went in search of Shin, asking a medical android I was directed to the intensive care area where Shin sat. Sakura lay in one of the beds, various machines surrounding her, monitoring her vital signs. He didn't even look up as I approached; his gaze was locked upon her silent form, his lips pressed into a thin line, his eyes dead. When he spoke his voice was a shadow of what it was, hollow and devoid of emotion, reminiscent of my own synthesised tones.

"She's in a coma…they don't know when…or even if she'll ever wake."

I felt a strange tugging sensation then, an unfamiliar feeling, and one that I could not understand. Had I been human I would have said it was my heart yet I am an android and posses no such organ…another occurrence that I could not understand. My attention turned back to Shin, to his now silent form. Where it not for the slight movement of his torso signalling his intake and expulsion of breath one might have mistaken him for one of the dead. What had happened to Sakura had broken him, this much I understood. He was a broken puppet, an android with their power core torn out. Knowing almost nothing of what humans did in such situations I could only stand there and watch, empty red eyes regarding him unblinkingly from moment to moment.

I do not know how it happened but he was there one moment and then gone the next, when I went in search of him I found no trace. A medical android told me had left, although she could not tell me where he had gone. I departed the medical centre, going in search of him; first I travelled to their apartment thinking he may have gone there. When I arrived the lock was damaged, the door wedged open. I used my strength to pull it free and it slipped open allowing me to step inside. I searched for signs of what might have happened, of who could have done this to their home. As I searched the room I found that nothing appeared to have been taken but a number of items were broken and Shin's weapons were gone.

It was then I felt it, an unfamiliar sense of danger, and a dread foreboding…another human affliction. Uncertain of what it meant I headed in the direction of the teleporter, operating on what humans would call a 'hunch'. I made my way through the crowds of civilians towards the main gate, pausing only to question one of the guards. Trying to ascertain whether Shin had passed through there or not. The man gave his ascent; Shin had passed by a short while ago, apparently heading for the planet. I interfaced with the primitive computer that controlled it, seeking the destination. As soon as I saw it I stepped into the field and vanished…following him down into the Caves.

When I emerged from the teleporter my sensors almost immediately picked up the 'scent' of blood in the air. I followed it, tracking it through a series of caverns, each filled with the rotting corpses of the creatures that dwelled there. Mixed into the splashes of green ichor there were small red spots, traces of human blood. I hurried through the empty rooms, each time the splashes grew ever larger. Faster and faster I was moving, without even realising I had broken into a run…I tore through a door and found him there. Standing above the remains of a Grass Assassin, blade slack in his grasp, his clothing was slick with his blood. I could only watch as he walked over to the edge of the lava, staring down at the molten rock.

Too late I realised what he was planning to do…I ran faster than I ever had, leaping forward, catching him in my arms as my body contacted the surface. Feedback flared as my system registered considerable damage, the heat was already starting to melt my armour and already was affecting my internal systems. Forcing myself up with strength I never knew I had I pushed myself up, holding Shin with on arm as I did so even as molten armour dripped off my back. Shifting him into my arms I walked across the burning ground carrying my charge. Even as my internal repair systems fought to minimise the damage, to force me to shut down I kept on, never stopping until I was once again standing on the teleporter pad.

When I 'woke' next I was back on Pioneer 2, as I took in my surroundings I realised I was presently in the medical centre. I could hear voices to one side, one familiar one not.

"Mister, will the metal man be alright?"

"He'll be fine little one."

"That's good."

I finally sat up to see Shin sitting there, the human girl I had saved standing beside him, looking far better than she had before. She smiled at me and I once again felt an odd sensation beneath my chest plate, but unlike before this one was not bad. Having no way to express what I felt through my expressionless mask I simply bowed my head in response. The girl giggled and ran off leaving us alone. I turned my attention to where Shin sat, almost at once taking note of the scar that now adorned his face, a thin line of scar tissue running from just above his eye brow to about halfway down his cheek. The eye itself seemed undamaged, but for some reason the scar had not been healed. It seemed he noticed my scrutiny for his hand moved up to brush against his face, fingers tracing the length of the scar.

"My punishment. I promised her I wouldn't get myself killed…it looks like this is a permanent reminder…"

There was silence for a moment as neither of us said anything. Then, suddenly he slumped forwards, water leaking from his eyes as he 'cried' for her, all of the grief he had buried within himself coming out. When at last he wept no more he looked up at me, eyes red from the tears he had shed even as they glistened with a look of thanks. It was in that moment that I finally learned an important lesson…the meaning…of friendship.

_AN: Until further notice the delays between chapters will be variable and potentially large. My job is currently making some fairly major demands on my time, which leave me less time to write, and mentally exhausted so I keep being unhappy with what I do come up with. I know a lot of you have been very patient and I appreciate the lack of reviews and e-mails begging for updates. I will do what I can but no promises…thank you all for sticking by me._

_Thank you all,_

_  
Hououza_

_Chapter preread by That Other Guy_


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